Gibson, P. J. 2000. Introductory Remote Sensing. Principles and Concepts.

This attractively designed pair of books aims to provide a complete grounding in the rapidly emerging field of remote sensing. As the authors state, most of us have had contact with some form of remotely sensed imagery – be it an aerial photograph of a city or a satellite image of Mars – at some point in our lives, though the principles governing the acquisition and display of such imagery are often poorly understood. These volumes seek to demystify the science and introduce the expanding portfolio of remote sensing applications, including climatology, geology, environmental monitoring, agriculture and urban planning. Despite functioning adequately as stand-alone texts, the set is designed as an integrated multimedia study/teaching package, featuring a linked Website and an accompanying CD-ROM that contains image processing software and satellite data. Volume 1 ( Principles and Concepts ) introduces the science of remote sensing, covering the basic physical principles, the main imaging systems and some key applications. It begins with a short history of the field, from the days of wartime airborne surveillance, through the 1960s space race and the clandestine military reconnaissance satellites of the Cold War, to the meteorological …